Modern workplaces are evolving faster than ever. However, the foundation of success in any environment involves a stable and effective team. These groups often lead a drive for innovation while navigating complex challenges.
They can also be a significant force for driving positive change and retention within your organization. One study found that employees who work in team-based environments are 64% more focused than those who work alone.
Unfortunately, a tight-knit and high-impact team rarely starts off this way right off the bat. However, establishing this type of team in your workplace is possible when you follow proven strategies.
Every Great Team Starts With Communication
Whether it’s an NFL team discussing play options before a game or a sales team preparing to overcome potential objections from a potential client, great teams know how to communicate. An important pillar of team communication involves sharing a consensus. Teams that can’t make final decisions as a group are unlikely to accomplish much.
Your company can foster better communication by:
- Encouraging Healthy Debates: Letting every group member share their ideas and opinions can bring a wealth of diverse viewpoints to any company. Sweeping disagreements under the rug won’t resolve them.
- Open Communication Among Leaders: Your managers, supervisors, and those in similar roles should actively invite feedback from those they lead, whether it be positive or negative. You never want employees to feel afraid to share their opinions.
- Frequent Individual and Team-Based Check-Ins: Schedule weekly individual and team-based meetings to get the complete picture of how well your team is performing and what, if any, issues are holding employees up.
In addition to these tactics, consider using collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams, Asana, or Slack to keep teams of any size on the same page. Plus, these tools enable employees to easily share updates, communicate, and work together across departments.
Let Teams Bond Outside the Office
It can be hard for workers to feel like themselves at work, especially those who are new to your company. Scheduling regular team-building events can help solve this problem.
While it might be entertaining on TV shows and movies, don’t go too overboard with bonding experiences. That means nothing too thrill-seeking like a ropes course or whitewater rafting. Instead, choose something that every employee can participate in.
Good ideas for non-physically demanding team-building excursions include:
- Casual lunches in a local park
- Board game night
- Painting
- Business book club
Team-building activities not only help your employees get to know each other, but they also foster a sense of inclusion and safety. This sense of safety helps ensure employees feel encouraged to communicate and collaborate.
Empower Workers With Tools and Training
Even the most inherently talented teams can fall short when they lack proper tools and training. Investing in up-to-date office technology and continuous learning programs gives your team the ability to reach their full potential.
Examples include:
- Enrolling teams in skill-building workshops
- Helping workers obtain relevant professional certifications
- Giving teams access to popular business software
Investing in your employees shows them you’re deeply invested in each of them and their growth, which can boost motivation and foster an environment where everyone continually improves.
Set Crystal Clear Expectations and Goals
Clarity matters. It’s a significant driving force for high-performing work groups. When individuals and teams know what they need to do, there’s little room for confusion and second-guessing. Teams that share a vision remain aligned and hyper-focused.
Are you unsure about what expectations and goals to set for your team? Some businesses find that completing corporate leadership training programs helps them connect the dots when forming a team-based plan.
Try these tips to set clear expectations and goals for employees:
- Clearly define everyone’s role and responsibilities within a team.
- Set goals and include key performance indicators (KPIs) to define success clearly.
- Provide feedback and adjust goals as needed to keep everyone on track.
In conclusion, building and maintaining a high-impact work team can lead any organization to success. However, effective team management requires time and effort. While a great team doesn’t happen overnight, with the right tools, a growth mindset, and patience, your company can turn any group into a collaboration powerhouse.